you are looking for something that says 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated'

like 'partially hydrogenated soybean oil' or any other type of oil or fat.

What that means is that the fat is chemically produced.


Hydrogenation is a commercial chemical process of forcing hydrogen atoms into the holes of unsaturated fatty acids. This is done with hydrogen gas under pressure with a metal catalyst at a temperature of 248-410 degrees F (120-210 C).


Partially hydrogenated fats

Not too hard - not too soft... Of course, vegetable oil is too soft for margarine or shortening because it is liquid. Saturated fat is too hard. Margarine requires something in the middle. And here is where the problem lies. Margarine and shortening makers `partially hydrogenate' their product. They only add hydrogen atoms until the oil is at the desired consistency. For our health this does terrible things. These oils are also produced at high temperatures with metal catalysts and pressurized hydrogen, but the process is stopped when the oil has the proper consistency for its application. The high temperatures and catalysts used for this chemical reaction weaken the double bonds and, as a side effect, cause a large percentage of the natural Cis double bonds to change to Trans double bonds.

During the hydrogenation process, hydrogen atoms are inserted in no particular order. (Nature does it in a very controlled way.) When they stop the incomplete hydrogenation process, unsaturated fatty acids are in varying stages of hydrogenation. Some molecules are mostly hydrogenated, while others are not. And the double bonds have often shifted to unnatural positions. Each molecule can be in varying cis-/trans- configurations.

Mr. Erasmus has stated, "So many different compounds can be made during partial hydrogenation that they stagger the imagination. Scientists have barely scratched the surface of studying changes induced in fats and oils by partial hydrogenation."1 (References: 1. Fats that Heal and Fats that Kill pg. 103)

The end result is many of these altered substances are toxic to our systems. One study has shown up to 60% trans- fatty acid content was found in some margarine, with less than 5% essential fatty acids remaining. The average trans- fatty acid content of stick margarine made in this way is 31% with a range of 9.9 to 47.8%.